


Two Terrible Ideas

by unlmtdsky



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Anxiety, Biotic Shepard (Mass Effect), F/M, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Mass Effect 3, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:33:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25220062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlmtdsky/pseuds/unlmtdsky
Summary: Aria T'Loak has requested Shepard's help reclaiming Omega from Cerberus. Jane and Kaidan discuss it in bed, and one idea leads to another...
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	Two Terrible Ideas

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story lovingly borrows characters, situations, lore, settings, etc from the world and creators of Mass Effect. I do not own these characters or the world they inhabit. This work is intended for entertainment purposes only.

“No.”

“Kaidan…”

“ _No_. It’s a _terrible_ idea, Jane.”

Jane pursed her lips and rolled over onto her back, staring moodily up at the window in the ceiling of her cabin. She had never really grown accustomed to its presence; in fact, she hated that she was forced to confront the dark void of space every time she laid in her own fucking bed. She was absolutely convinced the window was part of the reason she had always had so much trouble falling asleep on the SR-2. And she blamed the Illusive Man entirely for it.

Kaidan sighed, then shifted so that he was lying on his side, facing Jane. He raised himself up on one elbow, resting his head on his hand as he looked at her. Neither of them spoke for a long minute, the only sound in the room the steady, quiet hum of the Normandy’s engine. Jane didn’t turn her head, but she could sense him studying her.

“...Do I need to explain why it’s a terrible idea?” he asked tentatively, breaking the tense silence between them.

Jane let out a short bark of laughter. “Ha, no. I agree with you that it’s probably a terrible idea.” 

“Not _probably_ …” Kaidan muttered under his breath. He reached out his left hand and rested it on Jane’s stomach. It lingered there, fingers absently tracing the silvery scars that were visible on her bare skin. Her skin tingled beneath his touch, electrified by the contact.

“I know,” Jane said. She paused, considering her next words carefully. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to do it.” Jane turned her head then, her vibrant green eyes meeting his honey brown ones, which she could see clearly even in the near darkness of her cabin. The rich color of Kaidan’s eyes had always reminded her of that smooth whiskey he liked to drink. It was one of his only vices.

He said nothing as he gazed intently back at her, and a silent conversation passed between them. She was their Commander and—though, as a Major, Kaidan technically outranked her these days—aboard the Normandy and when it came to gathering war assets for the Alliance, Jane knew her opinion ultimately outweighed his. If Commander Shepard decided that they needed Aria’s merc fleet and resources to help with the war effort, then this mission would happen no matter how terrible an idea either of them thought it might turn out to be.

But she and Kaidan were partners again, and right now, here in her private quarters, they were on equal footing. The trajectory of their relationship had been far from smooth, and Jane never forgot those long months when circumstances and their conflicting allegiances had separated them. The Commander Shepard who had been resurrected by Cerberus and tempered by her crusade against the Collectors was a more capable, confident leader than the Commander Shepard who had been killed in action over Alchera, true, but that didn’t mean that Jane didn’t want, didn’t _need_ Kaidan’s input and support now.

Jane reached her hand over to cup Kaidan’s cheek, bringing his face closer to hers. Arching her neck slightly, she brought their lips together in a sensual, lingering kiss. Something stirred within her as his scent, a heady mix of eezo and spice, pricked at her keen senses. She breathed out a soft, contented sigh.

Kaidan pulled away from the kiss and slid his hand from her stomach around to rest on her back, tugging her in close to him. Jane rolled onto her side, curling her body into his so he could rest his chin atop her head. Her arms were pinned between them now, and she braced her hands against his chest, savoring the warmth of his bare skin against hers. His chest rose and fell steadily with each breath he took, and she could feel his heart beating beneath her palm. He began rubbing his hand soothingly along her back.

For a long time, they simply laid together like that in silence, each one savoring the closeness of the other. Jane thought that if she could just stay in this moment forever, she would.

“Alright. So the plan is for you to meet up with Aria and her fleet tomorrow evening?” Kaidan finally asked, voice full of resignation.

“Yeah. Bray sent me the coordinates this afternoon. I already gave them to Joker.”

Kaidan sighed. “And tell me again why Aria doesn’t want me to come with you?”

“She didn’t say you, specifically, couldn’t come with. It’s the whole Normandy crew. She… she just said she wants me all to herself.”

“...Aaand that doesn’t seem like a major red flag to you?” he asked with a slight scoff.

“Of course it fucking does,” Jane replied brusquely. Kaidan tensed at the harshness of her tone, his hand pausing its comforting motions on her back. “Ugh, I’m sorry,” she said, quickly apologizing. She had known that the idea of her undertaking a mission alone with Aria would be a sore spot with him, particularly after what had nearly happened on Despoina. If Jane had any choice in the matter, she’d never go on another mission without him by her side again.

“It’s fine,” he said. She felt him press a kiss to her temple. “I just worry about you, is all.”

Jane didn’t reply for a long moment. Then she said, quietly, “I worry about me, too.” She wasn’t entirely sure what made her say it, only that here, wrapped safely in Kaidan’s arms, she felt like she could. If there was anyplace in the galaxy where she felt safe, it was here.

Another long silence dragged out between them, both of their minds occupied with thoughts and worries about what tomorrow might bring. The silence lasted so long this time that Jane assumed the conversation over, and her eyes drifted closed as her mind sought out the sleep she knew she would need for tomorrow.

“Okay. I have an idea,” Kaidan eventually supplied, his voice deeper and huskier than it had been before.

“Hmmm?” she murmured, shifting slightly against him as she lingered on the edge of sleep. “What’s that?”

“What…,” he began, speaking softly and leaning in to kiss her brow. “If…” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Tomorrow…” A kiss grazed her jaw and Jane tilted her head back slightly, exposing her neck to him. “I…” His lips found her pulse point, and it was quiet for a moment as he traced a path of gentle kisses over her fluttering pulse. “Sneak onto Aria’s ship with you.” The last words spilled out in a rapid tumble.

Jane’s eyes flew open. “What? Kaidan, _no_. Now _that_ is a terrible idea.”

“What? Why?” he asked, sounding defensive.

She lowered her gaze to find him looking up at her, a teasing sparkle in his eye and his mouth quirked into a half grin. As soon as she realized he was joking, she rolled her eyes at him and settled her head back on the pillow.

“You aren’t exactly known for your stealth, Kaidan,” she teased back, her voice slightly breathless as he pressed a kiss to her collar bone. His tongue darted out and slid along the hollow of her throat, as if he were tasting her. Jane shivered.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said wryly. “I can be pretty subtle when I want to.” As he spoke, Kaidan's fingers brushed the side of her breast as he trailed his hand slowly down the length of her body. Jane could feel her biotics rising up to meet his, a crackling energy infusing her skin at each point of contact between them.

“Mmmm, is that so?” Jane said languorously, her eyes fluttering closed again.

“Come on. Aria won’t even know I’m there.”

“Fuck. Kaidan, can we please not talk about Aria T’Loak right now?” Jane groaned. " _Please_."

Kaidan laughed lightly. "Now _that's_ an idea I can get behind."

"Great. Now _no more talking_ ," Jane commanded.

"Even better."


End file.
